


Gotham in Disney!

by NightFlier



Category: Batgirl (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, I'm not a great artist but I have fun :), M/M, Multi, artwork
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:00:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29811570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightFlier/pseuds/NightFlier
Summary: This will be a series of Disney & Gotham crossovers via drawings. I may also go into these stories and characters sharing my opinions and thoughts :)
Relationships: Alfred Pennyworth & Bruce Wayne, Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Bette Kane & Kate Kane, Cassandra Cain/Harper Row, Dick Grayson & Helena Wayne, Luke Fox & Lucius Fox, Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake, Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent
Kudos: 8





	1. The Dickbabs of Notre Dame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick Grayson is the Esmeralda to Barbara Gordon's Phoebus. I mean, they both have a tendency to flirt even while fighting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nightwing is my favorite fictional character of all time, but Esmeralda is up there too! They both happen to be Roma, so of course I was going to feature this crossover first! I’d love to hear your comments on the art and the characters. (Art tips very welcomed). Also I’m open to Gotham/ Disney crossover suggestions.

Ok I’m about to go into a long discussion below, full warning, it gets heavy with the topic of racism, so skip if need be.

These are my thoughts on Disney & DC's representation of this minority group... First off, they’re Roma not ‘gypsy.’ The latter is a slur. 

1) For a film that prides itself on tackling deeper issues such as racism, ableism, and political corruption, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” also perpetuates racist stereotypes. 

I’m just going to focus on Esmeralda here, but the links below go to Roma-written articles that expand on the film’s issues if you’re interested.

Esmeralda is one of my favorite Disney characters. Disney did her dirty though. Despite being pushed into love-interest & damsel in distress storylines, her character really stands on her own two feet. Esmeralda is strong, smart, beautiful, and confidant. However, the movie acts like she is the exception to the rest of the Roma who are portrayed as stereotypical caricatures ( although the hyper-sexualizing Esmeralda is another stereotype that is placed on Roma- similar to the “spicy Latina trope.”) The most obvious way that she is set apart from the other Roma are her physical features which are drawn to be more Caucasian. Also, those bright green eyes? That's not how genetics work. I don’t know the stats, so tell me if you do, but it’s rare for someone with that much melatonin to get colored eyes, even if they are mixed. They seem to be just another way for Disney to exoticize (and subsequently ‘other’) Esmeralda.

Disney has a bad habit showing weird stuff. Still I want to know who greenlit the pervy villain who keeps ogling and grabbing at Esmeralda. I don’t care if it was in the book, this is a movie marketed towards kids. Also regarding that scene of mob wanting to burn Esmeralda at the stake for being a ‘gypsy,’ that's scary for any kid to witness but for a Roma kid? That could be traumatic.

Anyway, this is not to say that I don’t appreciate the better features of the film such as the beautiful artwork/ animation and engaging characters, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t critique it for its faults and ask for better representation. 

2) DC comics are inconsistent with Roma Dick Grayson. The character was originally assumed to be white, his Roma heritage was added later as what happens when DC wants to get its diversity points without having to really follow through with it.

It was the DC writer Devin Grayson who made Roma Dick canon. It was established that his dad was Roma. Later on, we meet an older Roma man thought to be Dick’s grandfather. He’s a sweet man, besides the fact that he straight up calls himself a thief and expects Dick to be one as well. The “all Roma are thieves” stereotype is one of the most enduring, negative ones out there.

Years later in Rebirth, Dick’s Roma heritage is explored again but this time it is his mom who is Roma. Weird change, might as well have them both be Roma at this point but nope. You’d think that years later DC would do better representation, however, this is the same company that made the most cringe appropriation of the Roma culture with that JL superhero whose alias is literally just ‘ Gypsy.’

So it turns out that in the past Dick’s mom used to be a thief along with her fellow Roma and friend Raptor. Dick’s mom then chooses to run away from her Roma community and family to join the circus. Raptor, the only other Roma representation we really get here besides Dick and his mom, is a major villain with creepy stalker and murder tendencies. Oh and he has a form of leprosy, a serious medical condition that seems to just be another way to ‘other’ the character. Just like with Esmeralda, Mary and Dick are drawn to have more Caucasian features (and unlike Esmeralda, they are both very white-passing) in contrast to the dark-skinned Raptor. Now there are white Roma people, but writing the white Roma characters as good and the darker-skinned as bad is a product of colorism.

In conclusion, this is not to say that Dick’s Roma heritage isn’t important because it is VERY important. There is so little Roma representation as is, so having one of the most well-known DC characters be Roma can mean a lot to someone who never gets to see themselves in the media. And while the two Roma-focused plots mentioned above are abysmal, there have been other mentions of Dick’s Roma heritage smattered throughout the comics. These are just normal acknowledgements which are the obvious ways to go about the representation because being Roma is normal. I really hope DC eventually embraces and does Roma Dick right because they have the power to change their fans’ biases and assumptions about this misunderstood minority group. The last link below goes to an article that dives into Roma Dick's portrayal and history.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/rromani-in-art.tumblr.com/post/121214077396/romani-rants-the-hunchback-of-notre-dame-disney/amp

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newsweek.com/notre-dame-roma-stereotypes-esmeralda-hunchback-1403812%3famp=1

https://thenerdsofcolor.org/2017/03/01/erased-and-ignored-dick-graysons-rromani-identity-comes-to-light/


	2. Duke Thomas at Pixie Hollow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duke Thomas as Iridessa the light fairy. You know, because they both have light powers :)
> 
> Also, Iridessa is known for being optimistic. In the recent 2018 Batman and the Outsiders run, Duke Thomas is pretty down due to all the bad stuff happening to him (still worth reading though as it expands on his powers and friendship with Cass!) However, back in the Robin War comics, Duke was a leader for a whole bunch of kids disillusioned by society. He gave them a purpose to fight for. There's also a bunch of other moments that showcase Duke as an optimistic guy despite his tragic backstory. I mean, he inspired Bruce enough to earn a spot on the team.

I had an idea of what I wanted to do with each Batfamily member except for Duke until I watched Drawpinion Dump's youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7EyaXWNr9E . 

I definitely recommend their channel, it reviews a bunch of nostalgic, older animated content. Also, their voice is so soothing and nice! :)

Anyway, watching that video reminded me of how much I enjoyed the Tinkerbell stories as a kid. The movies possessed a beautiful art style and fun, magical storylines. The characters were stood out from each other too. My favorites were Zarina the pirate fairy and Fawn the animal fairy. I think I enjoyed them the most because they were both independent, adventure-seekers who followed their hearts. Although, I guess the same could be said for Tinkerbell? I liked her, but I don't know. The main protagonist just isn't my favorite usually.

I also read the books which I remember nothing about except for the eye-catching book covers. Each book cover spotlighted a different fairy. The artist drew each design with detail and action.

Last but not least, the computer game! Did anyone else play it? You chose a fairy avatar then went on adventures, played games, changed your outfits, etc.. It was one of the few game worlds that I really got into playing.


	3. CinderBruce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fairy GodAlfred giving CinderBruce a sparkly makeover before he heads out to stop his first bank heist :')

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bruce Wayne does have a soft side which is shown mainly with children. He takes time to shield, teach, and protect his adopted children and those that he runs into onto the streets. Even with his 'edgy' makeovers, that characteristic always manages to pop back up. (*Ahem* Ace's death scene in Justice League Unlimited broke my heart a little). He also pours so much money into his charities to help people!
> 
> In the Cinderella sequel movies, I wish we got to see more of Ella running the kingdom because I bet she'd have been a huge philanthropic too. 
> 
> Alfred is supportive just like the Fairy Godmother. Also like her, he gives his support in... let's call it questionable ways. People like to critique the Fairy Godmother for waiting so long to help Ella, and just to send her off to a ball instead of fixing up her life. On the other hand, Alfred was a huge enabler who, as the sole guardian of Bruce, let the traumatized child shut out everyone else and go off on dangerous adventurous.

So about Cinderella... 

Growing up, I didn't see much of myself in Ella. And yes, I'm going to call her Ella because "Cinderella" was a mean nickname from her stepfam. Like many girls, I preferred more adventurous princesses like Ariel, Mulan, and Pocahontas. They were the strong heroes. And yes, they were strong, but so was Ella. Just not in a way that our society likes to commend. There's more ways to be strong than going into battle and physical confrontation, however, those are the ways we tend to applaud because they are easier to see and to be honest... connected to more masculine ideals of strength. Despite all of our progress, femininity is still looked down upon as inferior.

After her parents passed away, Ella was stuck in an abusive household. Her stepfam belittled her and made her do all the work without payment or thanks. The fact that she managed to endure their abuse while maintaining her optimistic, kind outlook on life is nothing short of incredible. I think many of us would become bitter and/or depressed in that situation. People rag on her for being another Disney damsel in distress, but she isn't. She designed her first ballgown (which takes talent and skill) and planned to go to the dance not for a prince but to treat herself. After her stepmom locked her in the cellar, Ella struggled to escape (the live action version messed that up, having her surrender easily and spontaneously start singing made no sense to her character or story.)

The Cheetah Girls got it wrong (as much as I love that song), Ella was not "Waiting for somebody, to come and set (her) free." But once the prince offered her a way out, of course she's going to take it! Ella had enough of her stepfam after they ripped apart her dress and locked her in the cellar. Going to that ball made her realize that there was a bigger world out there that would indeed accept her as an equal, not an inferior. 

Ella is a great role model. If I were to change something about the film, it'd be the ending. Why on earth did the 19-year-old and 21-year-old who just met have to get married right away? Sure, they had a spark, but Charming could've just offered her lodging away from the stepfam and courted her over time. Better yet, Charming could've told the king to learn personal boundaries then offered Ella a castle job as a tailor. Let's be real, the king was way too interested in his son's romantic/sex life-- and yes, I said sex life. This old man wanted grandbabies. Having Charming and Ella get hitched right away was a dangerous message to send to kids. Ella didn't know Charming. He could've been a major creep. And with his status/power, he could've forced his will on Ella and she'd be in another abusive relationship. In real life, there are women who marry to escape their poor home lives. Sometimes that works out. Other times, they are desperate enough to escape that they miss the red flags and/or settle for a bad partner. 

One last thing, I don't like how people victim-blame Ella for not leaving on her own. She was a child when her parents died. What was she supposed to do? Leave the only home she's ever known? There's no way that her stepfam would've given her any supplies and money to make it. Also... writing this right now made me realize how much that I do share in common with Ella. Various people have told me that I'm the 'happiest, most optimistic person they know.' I know they meant well, but it always bugged me. Because for the longest time, I was really unhappy. Maybe that's why I did my best to make the most of the good things, no matter how trifle they seemed.

I've recently come to terms that there are some members in my family who are emotionally abusive. Nothing as bad as Ella's stepfam, but still. I always knew that my household was toxic, but nothing was ever done about it. I was expected to 'get over' bad behavior without an apology or any change made. And that's what I did, more or less. I did it because another option wasn't given. I did it because as much of the bad stuff hurt, I still wanted to maintain relationships with these family members. They weren't her biological fam, but Ella wanted to be accepted by her stepmom and sisters. She tried so hard to please them. Hell, the whole second film is her helping out Anastasia. I think that even if Ella had the means to leave, she would've stayed home. When it comes to family or even old friends, people cut them so much slack. There's this stubborn hope that things will return to how they used to be or get better. Cutting ties is painful because it means giving up the good stuff along with the bad. 

Anyway, I left links in the past 2 chapters, so might as well continue that :) Those below go to the youtuber's Harriyanna Hook and the Take's analysis of Cinderella.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIh5r2Ksn0I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huLSdm6IH0g


	4. Damian Wayne and the Five Pets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian Wayne as Snow White and his pets as the seven dwarves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My friend suggested this one. Snow White and Damian Wayne share a love for animals :)  
> Actually there's a fan theory that Snow White is a vegetarian because of that and you know who else is a vegetarian (Damian, the answer is Damian).
> 
> Let me make up some other comparisons on the spot XP  
> Ok, both had lonely, isolated childhoods... And they were killed by a mother figure, but later came back to life. Hmm, yup that's it! Let me know if you think of any other connections between the characters!

I like the original Disney Snow White film. The art style is easy on the eyes and Snow White's voice actress possess a very unique, pretty singing voice. 

During the age of blockbuster, my family rented the 1990 "Happily Ever After" which is supposed to be a sequel to the first (but not made by Disney?) Snow White's hair is super long now for some reason. More pertinent to the plot, she's going horseback riding with the prince when a creature swoops down and kidnaps him. The seven dwarves are on vacation, so some fairies subletting their cabin go on an adventure with her instead to save the prince. Looking back it likely isn't that well made, but kid me loved it a lot! 

I also enjoyed Snow White in "Once Upon a Time," and "Happily N'Ever After 2: Snow White." However, my absolute favorite is the 2012 "Mirror, Mirror." The main actress is so beautiful, the costumes are creative, and the fight scenes are fun. For a long while, its main song "I believe in love" was the most played on my Ipod! The puppy-love drug spell is creepy... But overall 10/10!


	5. Jason's a Beauty with a Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason Todd as Belle from Beauty and the Beast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jason Todd loves to read (just like Belle), this has been shown in comics and solidified in fanon :)
> 
> Also metaphor time.... Jason is Belle trying to 'tame' the Beast which is his Pit anger.

As a child, Beauty and the Beast was one of my favorite Disney princess films! I identified with this brunette bookworm who dreamed of adventure (and had a penchant for the color blue :) 

Not to mention, the character designs and songs were so enticing! Since then, I found out about Stockholm Syndrome. I know that's what bugs a lot of people about this film (which is fair), but tbh I never cared much for the romances in most Disney princess films. I watched the movies for the snarky/cute animal sidekicks, cool female protagonists, and MAGIC! Although, I do appreciate that the Beast is more fleshed out than other princes. Not fleshed out as in has his own name (which is a strange trend with older Disney princes), but fleshed out as in we see his perspective and history. 

No, what really made me lose relatability with Beauty and the Beast was the shift of priorities for Belle. At the start, she was happily independent and unattached romantically. The main hottie in town didn't interest her like adventuring did. However, by the end of the film, Belle seems to give up her dreams of travel/independence by hitching herself to the prince. Now, it could be argued that Belle could be in a romantic partnership with Beast and still go off on adventures. However, the whole film was about Beast wearing her down. Ugh, so not healthy. Belle gradually lost her desire to escape which I equate to her desire for independence/adventure. Unhealthy dynamics aside, as a wander-lusting aro/ace myself, I can much more see myself in the Belle who lost herself in novels than the Belle who stuck around to teach a manchild how to eat properly. 


	6. Poison Ivy At The Owlhouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poison Ivy as Willow from the Owl House

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Willow and Poison Ivy got the magic green touch XD  
> They both can rock glasses. Also each has a wild, creative friend (AKA Harley and Luz).

I'm gonna be honest... I haven't watched Owl House. I mean, I got through the first few episodes but then lost interest. The Youtuber FoggyMemoryProductions sparked my interest in it again with their funny crack vids of it. Still, it's one of those shows where I can't garner the energy to watch it all the way through, so I rely on Youtube clips and crack vids to keep up. In particular, my focus is on the Owl Lady and King (because they're freakin' hilarious delights) and Luz x Amity. 

I don't know what I found more surprising, that Disney made a cartoon with an Afrolatina lead or with a bisexual lead. Talking about an Afrolatino lead, call out to Mr. Miles Morales aka Spiderman! As a comics fan, I knew that his mom was Puerto Rican, but lots of other "Into the Spiderverse" viewers missed his Latinidad despite his mom's appearance and his speaking Spanish. And apparently his voice actor thought that his mom was Mexican. That makes me a bit sad... 

Anyway to leave on a happy note... Steamroller Studios who made "Into the Spiderverse" have released a trailer for the new film "Master." It's got their signature, amaz animation and art style. If you're interested I left the link below :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAau1QEOWns


End file.
